Leadership Perspectives

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Nov 9, 2009

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individual authors.

Often, in the midst of our demanding work as college students, our lives become centered on our schedules, and we forget that there is some greater pursuit than adequacy. We forget what we really seek: peace. But the environment we’re in often makes that pursuit difficult, with a never-ending list of things that must be done before we can rest. It seems there could never be time for prayer, reflection, or meditation.

November is Spiritual Development Month, and it’s a good time to discover the spiritual oasis right here in Oakland. With St. Paul Cathedral a stone’s throw away (Fifth Avenue and Craig Street) and the Oratory, or Newman Center, just a block farther (Dithridge and Bayard streets), the Catholic community is very accessible. On campus, the Catholic Newman Club also hosts many spiritual, social, and service events.
We are lucky enough to have 11 different Sunday Mass times to choose from each weekend at either St. Paul Cathedral or the Oratory. But Mass isn’t only offered on Sundays — there are also four or five times to choose from on any given weekday, including a 5:15 p.m. Mass at the Oratory.

Confessions are also heard every weekday at the Oratory at 4:30 p.m., and on Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. at St. Paul and 3:00 p.m. at the Oratory. If you seek to live close to the Sacraments, there is ample opportunity, no matter how busy your schedule is.

The Oratory also has perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. It is affectionately known as “ ‘wasting time’ with the Lord.” For all hours of the day and night, except during Mass times, the Eucharist is placed on the altar for anyone to spend time in prayer, spiritual reading, contemplation, or journaling in the immediate presence of our Lord.

The Catholic Newman Club also prays the Rosary together every Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. We pray and meditate on Christ’s life, passion and death, looking at it through the eyes of the person who loves Him the most, His mother Mary.

We also study the Bible together every week. After all, as St. Jerome said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” And he’s a doctor.

This fall, we have two men’s groups which meet in Doherty Hall 1209 — one on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. and the other on Thursday at 8 p.m. There’s also a women’s group that meets in the Carnegie Mellon Café on Thursdays at 8 p.m.

If you want to join in, even if you’ve never done anything like it before, we’d love to have you.